Draft:2001 Biggin Hill Airshow disasters

The DH115 Vampire T11 used in the display with the Sea Vixen on June 2 was originally built in 1955 by de Havilland Aircraft Company Ltd and entered the Royal Air Force in 1956 under the registration of XH308. It remained in service until 1962, after which the aircraft was put into storage, sold to the Swiss Air Force and was then upgraded to Mk 55. The Vampire operated as U-1234 until 1991 and was finally returned to the United Kingdom in 1995.

Piloting the Vampire was Sir Kenneth Hayr (66), a former New Zealand born fighter pilot and Cadet Warrant Officer of the No 3 (City of Auckland) Squadron, Air Training Corps. He eventually went on to join the Royal Air Force in the 1950s, becoming an Air Commodore and later the Inspector of RAF Flight Safety in 1976. Hayr was responsible for overseeing the RAF's role in the re-capture of the Falkland Islands.{{cite web |title=Air Marshal Sir Kenneth Hayr (607636) |date=16 March 2025 |url=https://www.rafweb.org/Biographies/Hayr.htm |website=Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation |access-date=13 May 2025 |ref=AOASKH}} On the day of the display Hayr, with a total of 4,398 flying hours (185 of those with the Vampire), would be pilot-in-command, sitting in the left seat of the Vampire. Accompanying him was Jonathan Kerr (33), a safety pilot who had been allocated to the Vampire by the Civil Aviation Authority due to the circumstances following the incident with the Venom that morning.

The Bell P-63 Kingcobra used in the display of June 3 was assembled in 1944, at the end of the Second World War. The aircraft was stationed with the United States Air Force under serial number 42-69097. It was built to conventional standard as a single seat aircraft. After completing its service in the US Air Force, the Kingcobra was sold under new civil registration N52113 in 1947, beginning its career as an air racer craft. It remained as a racer for the next four decades, changing hands multiple times but keeping the same registration (N52113), before finally being sold to Patina Ltd in Jersey with civil registration G-BTWR in 1991. At this time the Kingcobra was completely rebuilt, with a new zero-timed 1,325 horsepower liquid-cooled Aliison V1710-117 piston engine located behind the pilot, gearbox and propeller.

Former Royal Air Force pilot Guy Bancroft-Wilson (43){{cite web |title=Warks pilot dies at show |date=4 June 2001

|url=https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/warks-pilot-dies-at-show-3179337 |website=Coventry Live |access-date=17 May 2025 |ref=CLGBWA}} was flying the Kingcobra the day of its display, having originally been trained to fly whilst serving. Bancroft-Wilson completed a three year tour of duty as part of the Red Arrows,{{cite web |title=Biggin Hill probe |date=4 June 2001 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/south-wales-argus/172639939/ |publisher=South Wales Argus |access-date=19 May 2025 |ref=SWABHP}} flying Hawk aircraft, continuing to fly professionally thereafter. Despite only having 13 hours of flying experience with the Kingcobra, Bancroft-Wilson had accumulated 7730 hours of flying time overall. He also held a display authorisation for a Category C aircraft (the Kingcobra being of this category).{{cite web |title=CAP 1724 Flying Display Pilot Authorisation and Evaluation: Requirements and Guidance. Edition 7. March 2025.|url=https://www.caa.co.uk/publication/download/17226 |website=UK Civil Aviation Authority |access-date=17 May 2025 |pages=58 |ref=CAP1724}} This requires the pilot perform at least three display sequence practices in an aircraft of the same category, not preceding 90 days before the day of the public display. Bancroft-Wilson had flown 30 minutes dual in a Harvard, 25 minutes of display practice in the Kingcobra two days prior to the display and the airshow display on June 2. These were not recorded in his pilot logbook however, instead being recorded as completed by Patina Ltd.

{{Infobox aircraft occurrence

| name = June 2 Venom incident

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| image_upright = 1.15

| occurrence_type = Accident

| date = {{start date|2001|06|02}}

| summary = Landed with landing gear retracted due to mechanical failure

| site = London Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England.

| occupants = 1

| crew = 1

| fatalities = 0

| survivors = 1

| aircraft_type = de Havilland Venom-FB.50

| aircraft_name =

| operator = de Havilland Flying Group

| tail_number = G-GONE

| origin = Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England

| destination = Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England

}}

On the morning of 2 June 2001, a de Havilland Sea Vixen, de Havilland Vampire and a de Havilland Venom were scheduled to fly in formation from Bournemouth to partake in an airshow at Biggin Hill Airport.{{cite web |title=Venom lands wheels up |date=23 June 2011 |url=https://pilotweb.aero/flying/venom-lands-wheels-up-6220054/ |website=pilotweb.aero |publisher=Key Publishing Ltd |access-date=17 May 2025 |ref=PWAVENOM}} The Venom, being a single-seater aircraft, was flown by company chief pilot Clive Rustin. Rustin had over 200 hours of flying experience with the Venom, however this was only his second flight in eight years and with the aircraft to date. On the previous day, Rustin had noted that there was an issue with the landing gear indicator. The Vampire and Sea Vixen landed without issue at Biggin Hill. However, the Venom had issues with its landing gear indicator showing the flap as being over the one-third setting, despite being set to one-third during the pre-landing checks. Rustin corrected the flap setting. Entering final approach, he lowered the flap to full and maintained an even spacing between the Vampire and Sea Vixen, avoiding their slipstreams, as the gap had decreased to an unsafe amount. Certain the landing gear was all the way down, despite the questionable indicator, Rustin landed the Venom in what he believed was a normal landing. The Venom had in fact completed a smooth touchdown on its belly, with Air Traffic Control reporting the landing gear had not been down. This was further proven by the nose vibration experienced in the latter stages of the landing run. Whilst Rustin was uninjured, the aircraft experienced crushed drop tanks and a scratched fuselage on its underside. This damage resulted in it being unable to perform any displays at the airshow.

Clive Rustin later pinpointed three contributing factors to his failure to lower the landing gear. These included the width between the landing gear and flaps being close together and of a similar design, leading him to believe he had lowered the flap and not the landing gear, despite the reverse being true. This led to him failing to associate the excess flap with an unlowered landing gear. This was not helped by the landing gear indicator not reporting correctly. Secondly, the location of the indicator in the cockpit and the intensity of the lights made the position of the landing gear difficult to discern. Finally, Rustin reckoned he was distracted by the concentration required to perform a landing in close proximity to the other aircraft.

After the incident with the Venom, runway 03 at Biggin Hill was closed for approximately three hours in preparation for the air displays taking place later that day. The Vampire's pilot-in-command Sir Kenneth Hayr assisted with the aftermath of the incident with the Venom and was in attendance at the airshow briefing. Due to the Venom being unable to partake in any displays after the damage it had taken from the landing, the Vampire and Sea Vixen would pair up for a short sequence display followed by short individual displays later that day. The airshow instead opened with a helicopter display from the Blue Eagles which could perform without needing the full runway. This performance included the UK's first female military display pilot Sergeant Julie Wiles. This performance was followed by many other displays and flybys, including the Red Arrows which flew in from another airport. The Civil Aviation Authority assigned safety pilot Jonathan Kerr to the Vampire due to the events of the morning and potential visibility issues involving the aircraft's cockpit.

{{Infobox aircraft occurrence

| name = June 2 Vampire crash

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| image_upright = 1.15

| occurrence_type = Accident

| date = {{start date|2001|06|02}}

| summary = Loss of control due to wake turbulence from another aircraft

| site = London Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England.

| occupants = 2

| crew = 2

| fatalities = 2

| survivors = 0

| aircraft_type = de Havilland DH.115 Vampire T Mk 55

| aircraft_name =

| operator = de Havilland Flying Group

| tail_number = G-DHAV (XH308 and U-1234)

| origin = Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England

| destination = Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England

}}

Pilots Hayr and Kerr discussed plans for the display that would now take place without the Venom. The Vampire and Sea Vixen would takeoff separately several minutes before the planned display time, joining up as a formation pair behind the crowd. They would then run in along runway 03, in front of the crowd, with the Vampire following on the right echelon. They would level turning 405° to the left with the Vampire switching to the line astern position. They would proceed outbound from the crowd on a heading of 345°. Upon reaching the end of the display line, the Sea Vixen would perform a wingover to the right, reversing direction and returning along the display axis. The Vampire would then mimic this but with a delayed initiation, with the aim to set 1km of spacing from the Sea Vixen, allowing the latter to exit behind the crowd and leave the airspace clear for itself to begin performing solo. The Vampire would then depart for RAF Lyneham in Wiltshire, where it would perform a final display.

The planned display maneuvers went ahead, however the Vampire took off 30 seconds after the Sea Vixen due to a transient issue involving its landing gear. The weather at their departure time gave a northerly surface wind reading of 14 knots, visibility to 20km with scattered cloud at 3000 feet, a temperature of 13c and a sea level pressure of 1016mb. Both Hayr and Kerr had flown a similar display sequence a week earlier at Duxford, however that display included the Venom.

The Vampire and Sea Vixen joined as a pair as planned, flying past the crowd and carrying out their level turn to 405°. The Sea Vixen then performed its wingover to the right at a speed of 220 knots at the apex, subsequently increasing thrust and pulling 2.5g into the turn. The Vampire then flew to the left astern position, flying a wider radius followed by a right wingover to achieve the planned 1km of spacing between both aircraft. As the Vampire reached 80° to enter its wingover, it continued its roll to the right, becoming inverted with the nose dropping into a steepening descent. The Vampire simultaneously rolled upright, raising its nose and increasing its angle of attack. It continued to roll to the right, crashing into woods by the end of runway 21, a cloud of fire rising into the sky seconds after. These events were reportedly witnessed by 35,000 people in the airshow's crowd. Neither Sir Kenneth Hayr nor Jonathan Kerr survived.{{cite web |title=Biggin Hill air deaths under investigation |date=4 June 2001 |url=https://www.heraldscotland.com/news/12243550.biggin-hill-air-deaths-under-investigation/?callback=in&code=YJZKNMVMNZMTZWEXMY0ZNMQ5LTKXZMETZJVKNDRKMJHHZDLH&state=f0f17da9aa0e4472a61035274d8d227d |website=The Herald |access-date=18 May 2025 |ref=HERBH}}

The Sea Vixen cut its display short and dumped its remaining fuel before landing back on runway 03 without issue. Several video recordings of the display had been taken by members of the crowd. Most of these however, focused solely on the Sea Vixen rather than the Vampire at the time of the latters right wingover. Footage of the final seconds of the accident were only available on one recording. This recording would be further analysed in the subsequent investigation.

{{Infobox aircraft occurrence

| name = June 3 Kingcobra crash

| image =

| alt =

| caption =

| image_upright = 1.15

| occurrence_type = Accident

| date = {{start date|2001|06|03}}

| summary = Insufficient speed in attempted loop maneuver leading to loss of control

| site = London Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England.

| occupants = 1

| crew = 1

| fatalities = 1

| survivors = 0

| aircraft_type = Bell P-63A-7BE Kingcobra

| aircraft_name =

| operator = Patina Ltd

| tail_number = G-BTWR (42-69097 and N52113)

| origin = Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England

| destination = Biggin Hill Airport, Bromley, England

}}

In the mid afternoon of the second day of the Biggin Hill Airshow, three WWII warbirds including a Bell P-63 Kingcobra being piloted by Guy Bancroft-Wilson were to perform a joint display. They would fly together whilst performing maneuvers. The Kingcobra being the third aircraft would then break away, the first two aircraft would then carry out a pre-planned air display as a pair. The Kingcobra would fill in between the two other aircraft with its own non pre-planned sequence.{{cite web |title=Biggin Hill Kingcobra accident analysis. Flypast June 2002 |date=June 2002 |url=https://www.jets-are-for-kids.ch/pdf/bell_p63a_g-btwr_accident-report_FlyPast_06-2002.pdf |website= Model Building Pages - Jets Are For Kids! Jacqueline's Modellbauseiten |access-date=20 May 2025 |page=20 |ref=JMKC}}

The three warbirds took off from runway 03, holding for three minutes to the western side of Biggin Hill Airport before beginning their air display. They then flew in as a trio to a crowd of 50,000 people,{{cite web |title=Three killed at air show weekend |date=4 June 2001 |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/southern-daily-echo/172639891/ |publisher=Southern Daily Echo. PA News |access-date=20 May 2025 |ref=SDEASW}} each performing a loop maneuver followed by a half cuban eight, after which the Kingcobra split off as planned. A minute later, following a flypast along the display line at a speed of 220 knots, passing the other two warbirds, the Kingcobra pulled up into a climbing maneuver. During the peak, the Kingcobra was partially inverted and temporarily lost control,{{cite web |title='Lack of speed' caused air crash |date=3 April 2002 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/1909345.stm |website=BBC |access-date=20 May 2025 |ref=BBCKC}} entering an incipient spin, however the pilot quickly recovered, though with much altitude lost. Nonetheless, the air display proceeded.

Next, Bancroft-Wilson piloted the Kingcobra past the crowd left to right, performed a wingover to the left and returned past the crowd the other way at 190 knots. The aircraft then went out of sight for twenty seconds before it was directed to the right at 220°. It then flew directly towards the crowd and pulled up into a loop maneuver, topping out in an inverted position, full nose-up elevator was maintained with right rudder application. The aircraft moved to the right and fell into another incipient spin. The nose turned toward the ground with the rudder returning to neutral, full nose-up elevator staying the same. Unable to recover from the dive, the Kingcobra crashed into the ground nearby in a nose down attitude at a speed of 160 knots. The ensuing fire destroyed the aircraft, this was quickly put out by the attending fire crew. Pilot Guy Bancroft-Wilson did not survive. Similarly to the Vampire crash on the day prior, video recordings and photographs were made available to the subsequent investigation.

In the weeks after the crash, residents of Biggin Hill were reported as being divided in their opinions on whether the Biggin Hill Airshow should continue. There was unanimous agreement that the weekend had been a terrible tragedy.{{cite web |last1=Warden |first1=Sarah |last2=Addelman |first2=Mike |title=Shock after tragic crashes |date=11 June 2001 |url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/6412246.shock-after-tragic-crashes/ |website=News Shopper |access-date=20 May 2025 |ref=NSAM}} Two inquest coroner's juries were held at South London Coroner's Court to return verdicts of accidental death. Sir Kenneth Hayr's son Julian was in attendance. Deputy Coroner John Sampson adjourned both hearings until the crashes had been examined. Despite the accidents, a spokesperson for the airshow maintained that "the show has had a very good reputation for safety" and that "safety is of paramount importance to us as owners and operators of Biggin Hill". Despite the two fatal accidents and minor incident, the Biggin Hill Airshow continued to be held annually by Air Displays International who had run the airshow from 1982. In 2002, they handed over responsibility of running the airshow to the airport itself. The airshow continued until 2011, where it was replaced by an open house air day.{{cite web |last1=Mills |first1=David |title=BIGGIN HILL: Air fair will be 'sorely missed' |date=11 October 2010 |url=https://www.newsshopper.co.uk/news/8441742.biggin-hill-air-fair-will-be-sorely-missed/ |website=News Shopper |access-date=20 May 2025 |ref=NSDM}}

The Air Accidents Investigation Branch of the UK Government Department for Transport, opened two investigations following the events of the weekend of July 2-3 2001. AAIB Ref EW/C2001/6/3 was opened for the DH-115 Vampire accident and AAIB Ref EW/C2001/6/4 was opened for the P-63A Kingcobra accident. The incident involving the Venom FB.50 was described in the Vampire report.

There were no indicators of pilot ejection from examination of the wreckage, the same was true for mechanical failures of which all were within flying control. The Vampire crashed into a field of long grass beyond Biggin Hill Airport's perimeter, approximately 850 metres to the north of the end of runway 03/21. Having been completely destroyed from the impact, some sections of the aircraft were more than 130 metres from the impact location. Ground scars and wreckage distribution showed the Vampire had been travelling at an angle of 130°M, 45° nose down, banked steeply to the right.{{cite web |title=de Havilland DH.115 Vampire T Mk 11 msn 48913 G-DHAV |url=https://asn.flightsafety.org/wikibase/139348 |website=Aviation Safety Network |access-date=27 May 2025 |ref=ASNVAMP}} Other parts of the Vampire wreckage that were investigated also demonstrated that the point of failure was likely not from pilot error or mechanical failure but instead from other less obvious factors.

{{notelist}}

{{reflist}}